Improving the management of violence experienced by women who use psychoactive substances

The Council of Europe’s Co-operation Group to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Drugs (“Pompidou Group”) promotes public health and the implementation of a drug policy which respects human rights and supports gender mainstreaming.

By holding a first symposium in 1988 on women and drugs, the Pompidou Group was a pioneer in Europe regarding the gender aspect of drug policies.

Within the framework of its 2014-2018 mandate, the Pompidou Group resumed its activities in this field with the introduction of a gender dimension in drug policies.

This would not have been possible without the political and financial support of the Department for Anti-Drug Policies of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Italy.

The activities cover three different fields consistent with the Pompidou Group’s mission of promoting the link between research, policy and practice;

Research on the gender dimension in the Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs in Europe and in the Mediterranean Region (NMUPD) which resulted in an ISBN 2015 publication covering data from 17 countries: The study reveals that women are a high-risk category for NMUPD and that no standardised monitoring system for NMUPD exists in Europe and in the Mediterranean Region. It addresses recommendations to national authorities and calls for a better understanding of the link between drug use among women and violence.